Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 25 January 1995

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Absenteeism

Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage
what was the absenteeism rate for (a) his Department, (b) the Historic
Royal Palaces agency and (c) the Royal Parks agency in each year since
1991.

Mr. Dorrell: The absenteeism--sick absence--rate for the Department
of National Heritage since it was created in April 1992, is shown below.
The information for the two executive agencies, Historic Royal Palaces and
Royal Parks, is not held centrally and is unavailable in the format
requested. When the information is provided we will write to the hon.
Member and arrange for copies of the letter to be placed in the Library of
the House.

Departmental Staff

Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage
how many employees for which his Department is responsible were women (a)
in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and of these, how many
were (i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive
officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at
administrative assistant level.

Mr. Dorrell: The information requested is as follows. The Department
of National Heritage was created on 13 April 1992 and the Royal Parks
agency on 1 April 1993. While Historic Royal Palaces has been an executive
agency since 2 October 1989, a breakdown of staffing figures in the format
requested is not available for 1991.

Sports Council

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how
provision for disabled people will be

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included in the three new policy areas
chosen for emphasis by the Sports Council GB.

Mr. Dorrell: Under the proposals announced by the Minister with
responsibility for sport on 8 July 1994, Official Report, columns 584 92 ,
I shall expect the Sports Council, and its successors, to give full weight
to the needs of sport for able-bodied people and people with disabilities
in spending its grant in aid from the Government. We have also asked the
Sports Council to consider particularly the needs of those with physical or
other disabilities in its distribution of national lottery funds.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Research and Development

Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was
Government expenditure on research and development, civil and defence, for
each of the last 10 years as a percentage of gross domestic product; and
what were the equivalent figures for France, Germany, America and Japan.

Mr. Robert G. Hughes: The information requested is shown in the
table.

Commercial Lobbying

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has
knowledge any civil servants in his Department have been approached by
commercial lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or
unofficial engagements.

Mr. David Hunt: Officials receive representations about a wide
variety of matters, but the information requested is not collected.

Mr. Campbell Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his
Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on
behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

Mr. David Hunt: Ministers receive numerous representations about a
wide variety of matters, but the information is not collected.

TRANSPORT

Coventry Airport

Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what
assessment he has made of safety at Coventry airport.

Mr. Norris: The Civil Aviation Authority's aerodrome standards
department is responsible for ensuring that United Kingdom civil aerodromes
meet prescribed safety standards. I have therefore asked the chairman of
the Civil Aviation Authority to write to the hon. Member.

Rail Safety

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many
rail passengers were killed or injured (i) by the opening or closing of
carriage doors, falling through open

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doors or entering or alighting from trains
and (ii) during train movement for each of the last five years (a) over the
whole rail network, (b) in the Network SouthEast region, (c) in mark I
electrical multiple unit slam door rolling stock in the Network SouthEast
region and (d) in Networker 465 rolling stock in the Network SouthEast
region.

Mr. Watts: The table gives the details requested of passenger
injuries for all railways in Great Britain since 1989.

The following table gives details for Network SouthEast and covers the
period from its creation in 1992 to its reorganisation in March 1994,
following the restructuring of the railway industry.

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action
he is taking to press British Rail to implement the recommendation of the
Cannon street rail accident inquiry that class 415 EMUs should be replaced
by new Networker units as quickly as possible; when he estimates that this
process will be completed; and what plans he has to press British Rail to
replace other mark I EMUs and against what time scale.

Mr. Watts: I understand that the last class 415 EMU will be
withdrawn from the Kent suburban fleet on 13 April 1995, along with classes
413 and 416.

The replacement and deployment of rolling stock, and the appropriate timing
of an order, is a decision for BR. However, I understand BR's view is that
all remaining "mark I" rolling stock on south eastern is likely to need
replacement during 1999.

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it
costs to strengthen a single mark I slam door railway carriage to the
standard required by HM railways inspectorate in relation to recommendation
55 of the Hidden investigation into the Clapham Junction railway accident.

Mr. Watts: British Rail's estimate of the cost of strengthening mark
I rolling stock is around £300,000 per coach.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how
many successful prosecutions for contravention of the (a) showman's vehicle
and (b) agricultural vehicle excise duty concessions have taken place in
the last five years for which figures are available.

Mr. Norris: These figures are not collected separately by the
Department.

Transport and Pollution

Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what
response he has made to the recommendations of the Royal Commission report
on transport and pollution; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Norris: The Government have welcomed the royal commission's
report as a valuable contribution to the debate about transport and the
environment. We are now studying the report's conclusions and
recommendations and considering how we should respond.

Integrated Regional Offices

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he
will list those of his Department's

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responsibilities which are administered by
the integrated regional offices and, for each integrated regional office,
the estimated annual expenditure on each of these responsibilities;

(2) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which
integrated regional offices are responsible for preparing, advising on or
implementing regional policy;

(3) if he will list those of his Department's responsibilities on which the
integrated regional offices are required to advise him on the allocation of
resources and, for each integrated regional office, the annual expenditure
on each programme.

Mr. Norris: The Government offices for the regions play an important
role in advising Ministers on the regional implementation of national
transport policies, covering all modes of transport. They advise on local
authority transport programmes and policies and on the allocation of
resources for local transport capital expenditure, including transport
supplementary grant, public transport facilities grant--under section 56 of
the Transport Act 1968--Industrial Development Act grant and associated
credit approvals.

The Government offices liaise with the Highways Agency on the trunk road
programme and contribute to advice to Ministers on the programme's content
and progress. They also provide advice to Ministers on the transport
aspects of programmes administered by other Departments.

Local transport capital expenditure in 1993 94, the last complete financial
year, is shown in the table.

The total running cost to the Department of the Government Offices for the
current financial year is forecast to be as follows:

|£ million
---------------------------------------------
Eastern |0.247
East Midlands |0.218
London |2.462
Merseyside |0.079
North East<1> |0.443
North West |0.180
South East |0.430
South West |0.260
West Midlands |0.227
Yorkshire and Humberside |0.230
Total |4.784
<1> The figure for the Government office for
the north east includes running costs
incurred in carrying out the Secretary of
State's role in confirming orders promoted
by local authorities under the Highways Act
1980 and for highways under the Acquisition
of Land Act 1981, a national activity
carried out for all regions.

Commercial Lobbying

Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport
(1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which he has knowledge
any civil servants in his Department have been approached by commercial
lobbying organisations on behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial
engagements;

(2) on how many occasions in the last four months he or any of his
Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on
behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

Dr. Mawhinney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier
today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Fishing Industry (Accidents)

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how
many people were disabled as a result of accidents at work in the sea
fishing industry in the years 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Mr. Norris: This information is not available.

Motorways (Coaches)

Mrs. Gillian: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he
expects to announce a decision on the proposal to ban coaches from the
outside lanes of motorways with three or more lanes.

Mr. Norris: I have today laid regulations implementing such a ban
with effect from 1 January 1996. The ban will be for a trial period and
will be reviewed when two years' accident data are available.

EDUCATION

Liverpool Education Authority

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if Liverpool
education authority spent all its standard spending assessment for
education in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Robin Squire: The latest data on provisional outturn expenditure
indicate that Liverpool city council's education expenditure was some 3.6
per cent. less than its education standard spending assessment for 1993 94.
But education SSAs are not prescriptive and each council is

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free to determine its spending priorities
between and within services.

Schools, Wolverhampton

Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was
the cost of a secondary school place in a grant-maintained school in
Wolverhampton in 1993 94; and what is the estimated cost in 1994 95.

Mr. Robin Squire: Information relating to the cost of secondary
school places in grant-maintained schools in Wolverhampton for the years in
question is held by the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the
chairman of the agency to write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was
(a) the total cost of the assisted-places scheme at Wolverhampton grammar
school and (b) the average cost per pupil in 1993 94; and what is the
estimated cost in 1994 95.

Mr. Robin Squire: The total cost of the scheme at Wolverhampton
grammar school for the academic year 1993 94 was £792,715 and the
average cost per pupil was £3,109. The estimated cost of the scheme
for the academic year 1994 95 is £863,125 and the average cost per
pupil is expected to be in the region of £3,230.

Computers

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what
measures she is taking to ensure that all pupils gain skills in using
computer keyboards, word processing and spreadsheet software and
information networks such as the Internet.

Mr. Forth: The Government are supporting the development of pupils'
information technology skills through the inclusion of IT capability in the
national curriculum; through a £187 million programme of grants for
education support and training; and through the work of the National
Council for Educational Technology. My right hon. Friend announced on 11
January an initiative on information super-highways for education, which
will begin with a major consultation exercise in the spring.

Further and Higher Education

Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will
publish for (a) England and (b) the United Kingdom, for the last three
available years, the number of full-time students in (i) further education,
(ii) higher education and (iii) further and higher education in total,
indicating the percentage of women in each case.

Education Authorities (Expenditure)

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what
representations she has had from the North West Regional Association for
Education Authorities in regard to the standing spending assessments and
capping limits for its constituent authorities; what reply she has sent;
what action she is taking; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Robin Squire: My right hon. Friend has received a number of
representations from the North West Regional Association of Education
Authorities. I have arranged for copies of the correspondence and my reply
to be placed in the Library.

National Youth Agency

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she
will list the amount of grant given to the National Youth Agency for each
year since 1991 and the estimated grant for (a) 1995 96, (b) 1996 97 and
(c) 1997 98.

Mr. Boswell: The grant paid or allocated to the National Youth
Agency in the period 1991 92 to 1995 96 is as follows:

Funding for 1996 97 and future years will be reviewed as part of the annual
public expenditure survey and in the light of the outcome of the policy
review of the agency.

Proposed School Closures

Mr. Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what
proposals she is considering from

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Nottinghamshire county council for the
closure or merger of schools; what schools are involved; and when she
received these proposals.

Mr. Robin Squire: The following table shows the proposals, published
by Nottinghamshire county council, under section 12 of the Education Act
1980, to cease to maintain schools. These are currently under consideration
by the Department.

C
|Date received by
Proposals |the Department
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Padstow comprehensive |1 July 1994
Releigh Infant's School |10 November 1994
Windley Junior School |10 November 1994
Thomas Magnus VC Upper School |5 December 1994
Magdalene CE VC High School |5 December 1994
Lilley and Stone VC Upper School |5 December 1994
Sconce Hill High School |5 December 1994

The Department is also considering associated proposals from
Nottinghamshire county council to establish a new primary school on the
site of Windley junior school.

The governing bodies of Thomas Magnus school and Lilley and Stone school
have published proposals, under section 13 of the Education Act 1980, to
establish new 11 to 18 schools on the sites of Thomas Magnus school and
Lilley and Stone school. These proposals relate to the county council's
closure proposals. Padstow comprehensive school has submitted an
application for grant-maintained status which will be determined with the
closure proposal.

Commercial Lobbying

Mr. Campbell Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Education
(1) on how many occasions in the last four months of which she has
knowledge any civil servants in her Department have been approached by
commercial

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lobbying organisations on behalf of their
clients at informal or unofficial engagements;

(2) on how many occasions in the last four months she or any of her
Ministers have been approached by commercial lobbying organisations on
behalf of their clients at informal or unofficial engagements.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to
him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many
parents voted (a) in favour and (b) against in all ballots for grant-
maintained status in those schools currently operating as grant maintained.

Mr. Robin Squire: In ballots at schools in England which are
currently grant maintained, 450,819 parents voted in favour and 145, 005
voted against.

ENVIRONMENT

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Environment what progress has been made across Government Departments
towards meeting the energy saving targets given in "Climate Change: the UK
Programme".

Mr. Robert B. Jones: I refer the hon. Member to tables one to three
following chapter five of "This Common Inheritance: The Third Year Report,"
column 2549 . Further data will be published shortly.

Radioactive Waste

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment
(1) what attempt will be made by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to
recover the costs of cleaning up the uranium dumped at the Chelveston farm
in Northamptonshire from those responsible for the radioactive pollution of
the area;

(2) if he will ask Her Majesty's chief inspector of pollution to establish
an investigation into the fly tipping of uranium at a farm in Chelveston,
Northamptonshire; and if he will make it his policy to publish the report
of such an investigation.

Mr. Atkins: The scrap metal containing uranium found on land at
Poplar farm, Caldecott, Northamptonshire is of unknown origin.
Investigations are continuing to try and trace the source of the material
and those involved in its movement. As the results of this investigation
may form the basis of a prosecution under the Radioactive Substances Act
1993, detailed information will not be published until any such enforcement
action is completed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The
possibility of recovering costs of waste removal and clean up of the site
will also be fully investigated.

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Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what
is the process and timetable for the investigation of the Drigg low-level
radioactive waste disposal site by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

Mr. Atkins [holding answer given Thursday 19 January 1995]:
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has already thoroughly investigated
allegations made by Greenpeace about Drigg, following its illegal entry to
the site and has confirmed that there has been no breach of the site's
certificate of authorisation. The certificate of authorisation contains
conditions and limits which impose specific requirements on the company,
relating to the type of waste disposed of, the method of disposal and the
radioactive content of disposals made. HMIP is satisfied that operations at
the site properly protect the public.

With regard to the more general question of the disposal of radioactive
waste at landfill sites, the Government's consultation document "Review of
Radioactive Waste Management Policy: Preliminary Conclusions", published on
5 August, proposed that there may be advantage in encouraging waste
producers to make greater use of such controlled burial. This form of
disposal is already used by major hospitals and universities and some
sections of the nuclear industry for their low-level waste, and the
proposals do not involve any deregulation. Encouraging greater use of
controlled burial would help to relieve pressure on capacity at Drigg.

However, this remains only a proposal, and there are no plans in relation
to specific sites. The consultation document invited views on the subject,
and these are currently receiving careful consideration. A statement of
future policy will be made in due course.

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment
what assessment his Department has made of the effect of low-level
radioactive waste dumping in landfill sites on house prices in the vicinity
of authorised sites.

Mr. Atkins: None.

Single Regeneration Budget

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Environment what representations he has received from local authorities
submitting unsuccessful bids for single regeneration budget moneys alleging
that they were encouraged to believe that their bids would succeed in
discussions with the relevant regional office.

Mr. Curry: There have been five such representations from local
authorities.

Waste Management Licensing

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he
proposes to conclude his consideration of the consultation on exemptions
from waste management licensing for the recovery of scrap metal and the
dismantling of waste motor vehicles; when he proposes to publish the new
guidance and the new regulations; how many responses he received to the
consultation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Atkins: We have received 115 direct responses to the
consultation paper published on 8 November 1994 proposing exemptions from
waste management licensing for the recovery of scrap metal and the
dismantling of waste motor vehicles. Some respondents also requested
Members of Parliament to make representations on their

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behalf. Our aim is to conclude our
consideration of all these responses and to lay the regulations providing
any exemptions from licensing within the next three weeks. Our guidance is
dependent on the terms of any exemptions provided and will be published as
soon as possible after the regulations have been laid.

Right-to-buy Scheme

Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how
many tenants have bought their homes under the right-to-buy scheme; and how
many subsequently sold their homes (a) in total and (b) in Stockport.

Mr. Robert B. Jones: Between October 1980 and September 1994 over
1.2 million tenants of local authorities and new towns in England purchased
their homes under the right-to-buy legislation. Of these, some 3,500 sales
were to local authority tenants in Stockport metropolitan borough council.

Information on housing association sales at local authority level is not
available; sales for the country as a whole are estimated to be almost
27,000.

Data on subsequent sales by former tenants are not collected by the
Department.

Departmental Employees

Mrs. Maddock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how
many employees for which his Department is responsible were women (a) in
1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994; and, of these, how many
were (i) at grade 7 level, (ii) at grade 3 level, (iii) at executive
officer level, (iv) at administrative officer level and (v) at
administrative assistant level.

Home Renovation Grants

Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment,
pursuant to his oral answer of 18 January, Official Report columns 696 97
to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien), if he will list the number
of home renovation grants not including disabled facilities or minor works
grants approved in 1993.

Mr. Robert B. Jones: Some 40,221 renovation grants were approved in
1993.

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Local Authority Mortgages

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the
Environment if he will provide additional resources to local authorities
that wish to offer mortgages to tenants who wish to buy homes which have
been designated as defective.